The present invention generally relates to mechanisms for removably securing a die to the discharge of a cooker and particularly relates to mechanisms for allowing the quick and easy change of a die to the discharge of a cooker.
During the normal operation of a cooker/extruder, it becomes necessary and/or desirable to change the die from which the extrudate passes from the cooker. For example, the die often becomes plugged, requiring it to be replaced with a clean one. Dies for forming complexly shaped products are especially prone to plugging and other die complications. Similarly, the die may be replaced with a die extruding extrudates of a differing configuration and/or size. Conventionally, dies were secured to cookers by a plurality of fasteners which were required to be removed and replaced each time the die was desired to be replaced. In addition to being very time consuming, removal and replacement of such fasteners typically required several personnel including mechanics. Further, in addition to personnel costs, the time required to replace the die takes the cooker out of production and loses the steady state conditions for the cooker, with the amount of recovery time to steady state conditions being directly dependent on the time that the cooker is down.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,490 issued Jul. 18, 1995 discloses a cooker die removably securing mechanism representing a major advance in significantly reducing the time and personnel required to replace the die. However, the mechanism of the '490 Patent did require taking the cooker out of production while the die was being changed.
Thus, a need exists for a mechanism that allows for the removable securement of the die to the cooker which does not require the removal and replacement of a plurality of fasteners and which reduces the personnel required to replace the die and which does not require the cooker to be taken out of production.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanism for removably securing a die to a cooker.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism which does not require fasteners between the flange of the cooker and the die.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism which does not require the cooker to be taken out of production to replace the die.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism which reduces the personnel required to replace the die.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism resulting in improved product quality due to more frequent die changes.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism resulting in quicker system start-ups such as following down weekends.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism resulting in increased productivity.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel cooker die removably securing mechanism having reduced ingredient losses.